Observe children’s eye health and safety

August 23, 2012

Submitted by: Rita Tanksley Child & Family Area Agent

According to Prevent Blindness America, more than 12.1 million school- age children, or one in four, has a vision impairment. Among preschool-age children, more than one in 20 has a vision problem that can cause permanent sight loss if left untreated. The most common types of eye problems seen in children are: Myopia (nearsightedness), Strabismus (crossed eyes), Amblyopia (lazy eye).

The most common causes of blindness among children are: congenital cataracts, retinopathy of prematurity and other complications caused by premature births. Hospital emergency rooms treat thousands of children each year who suffer from eye injuries in and around the home. In general, the most common causes of eye injuries to children age 14 and younger are caused by: toys not suitable for the child’s age or abilities, and broken toys , pens, and pencils, adhesives, general household cleaners, furniture, flatware, non-cosmetic bleaches, cigarettes, cigars, pipes, lighters, grooming products, and cosmetics.

About 90% of all eye injuries and 50% of all cases of blindness are preventable. You can help protect your child’s sight by being aware of risks and taking proper precautions. A child’s eyes should be checked shortly after birth, before starting school (age 3 or 4), and throughout the school years as needed. Regular eye care is important even when your child show no signs of eye trouble.

Post navigation

How to subscribe

We now have a subscription service for our website. If you are a current print subscriber, please email us at bookkeeping@winstoncountyjournal.com with your name, email address and mailing address, and you can access this content as part of your print subscription. If you don't have a print subscription, please choose one of the options offered to access our content. You can pay for an article or access to all articles for different lengths of time. Thanks for your continued support of The Choctaw Plaindealer.